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Thread: Does anyone NOT use a FJC?

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  1. #16
    BLiNC Magazine Supporter (Silver)
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    Re: Does anyone NOT use a FJC?

    The only reason I can think of to not take an fjc is to have a stupidly death defying adventure while you try and figure shit out on your own. It was pretty fun I guess...

    I had some friends teach me base, and in retrospect I wish that I had taken an fjc from one of the several competent professional intructors in this country. When I had 200 jumps under my belt, I learned some pretty basic things about gear or jumping or whatever from someone that had 10 jumps and just took an fjc.

  2. #17

    Re: Does anyone NOT use a FJC?

    There is no such thing as a formal FJC in New Zealand as far as I know.

  3. #18
    BLiNC Magazine Founder mknutson's Avatar
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    Re: Does anyone NOT use a FJC?

    Quote Originally Posted by Rover View Post
    There is no such thing as a formal FJC in New Zealand as far as I know.
    This is true as per the First Jump Course Wiki page.

    However, what is your safety worth? A flight to the USA? France? Norway?

  4. #19

    Cool Re: Does anyone NOT use a FJC?

    Quote Originally Posted by mknutson View Post
    This is true as per the First Jump Course Wiki page.
    However, what is your safety worth? A flight to the USA? France? Norway?
    Good thing, there is no FJC in France. And very few accident too ... Maybe learning slowly with people is not that bad ...

    Quote Originally Posted by puddin taine View Post
    I had some friends teach me base, and in retrospect I wish that I had taken an fjc from one of the several competent professional instructors in this country. When I had 200 jumps under my belt, I learned some pretty basic things about gear or jumping or whatever from someone that had 10 jumps and just took an fjc
    If you just wait on people to teach you stuff without being curious, you stay ignorant ...

  5. #20
    BLiNC Magazine Supporter (Silver) Sabredave's Avatar
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    Re: Does anyone NOT use a FJC?

    Quote Originally Posted by mknutson View Post
    I challenge anyone to give me even one (1) good reason NOT to take a FJC.
    There can be many reasons and what may not be a good reason to an individual might be a good reason to someone else. I did not do FJC for many reasons but one of the main ones is because I felt I didn't need to. I ground crewed over 100 BASE jumps before my first PCA. The 3 people watching my back were ALWAYS there to answer my questions but more importantly made sure that I had very few questions to ask by the time I started jumping.

    So instead of an instructor and 6 or 8 or 10 students there was basically 3 instructors and me, one student. It wasn't a weekend long it was a few years in the making. In my mind that is a superior situation to be in when compared to the FJC. When I actually started jumping I went off to Europe with 3 experienced jumpers and 4 BASE jumps under my belt. Picked the brains of people like Douggs, Coombesy and Elin in Lysebotn for 13 days and learned different stuff and other ways to do things. Granted I was probably in over my head in the Valley but I was aware of that and it all went smooth as silk, solid exits every jump and good tracks.

    IMHO there are solid reasons to not do a first jump course.............

    Dave
    Last edited by Sabredave; September 8th, 2009 at 07:13 PM. Reason: typo

  6. #21

    Re: Does anyone NOT use a FJC?

    I did not take a FJC. I also had almost 8000 skydives before I did my first BASE Jump.

    My perception is that most people in the past (before FJC's) actually had extensive skydiving and rigging experience before moving into the BASE environment. Now people do the bare minimum of jumps from a plane and move on to BASE in a hurry.
    I was up at twin this week and I overheard a jumper asking his buddy "oh man... I forgot to do a brake continuity check! You think it's allright? Should I do that everytime I pack? His friend told him it would be fine and not to worry about it!"

  7. #22
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    Re: Does anyone NOT use a FJC?

    Hey all,

    I am relatively new to B.A.S.E first started off learning about the gear how to pack and all that jazz before doing some ground crew work. After learning about the B.A.S.E specific gear and seeing the equipment in action was happy to accept the terms and conditions of the sport. Started with a good trusty mentor that took me for a few jumps then as i had some cash put away and wanted to travel it was a good excuse to go do a FJC in Spain. It was great getting another experianced persons perspective on the sport and although i probably didn't get as much out of the FJC as a complete newbie with no jumps it was well worth whilst and i did pick up a few more little things along the way.... whom knows maybe one of those little things i learnt there may be the difference between walking away from a jump on any particular day or ending up injured or worse still???

    Each to thier own though :-P

  8. #23
    BLiNC Magazine Supporter (Silver) davo's Avatar
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    Re: Does anyone NOT use a FJC?

    nope, i think its a good idea to do an FJC, but i didn't.

    it's not advisable to base jump in the first place so i'm just keeping the rebel spirit alive.
    "What kind of man would live a life without daring?
    Is life so sweet that we should criticize men that seek adventure?
    Is there a better way to die?"

    Charles Lindberg
    August 26th, 1938

  9. #24

    Arrow Few Thoughts RE: FJC's

    To: SabreDave

    I will gladly admit your progression sounds much better
    and much more comprehensive than my 4 day FJC, but
    yours is the anomaly.


    To Cloudtramp

    I agree with you 100%. My first visit to Twin Falls I
    walked out front to have a smoke and started chatting
    with 2 young guys in skydive t-shirts. They had just
    chucked themselves on the bridge, 1 had less than 20
    skydives and the other had less than 10.


    Sure, most people can get away with a few bridge jumps
    with zero time under a canopy. Sure, some people show
    up with hours of canopy time and mad rigging skills. Sure,
    some people have a BASE god living down the street...

    BUT for the vast majority of people with limited skydives,
    zero rigging skills, mediocre packing skills, and who have
    zero BASE jumpers in their neighborhood then YEAH the
    cost and time of an FJC is a smart investment in their life.
    ~Tom BASE1366
    www.Sky-Frogs.com
    BLiNC Team Member

  10. #25

    Re: Does anyone NOT use a FJC?

    RIGHT ON Mick. The two best improvements in the sport of BASE since I started are:
    1. Equipment
    2. Good First Jump Courses.
    Unless you have a lot of skydiving experience, you really should take an FJC. Besides, the good ones even teach a little BASE ethics like not burning local sites dayblazing, not litering, and like Carl Boenish used to say from an old John Muir theme, "Take only pictures, (or memories), and leave only footprints." If you are in a NP, smudge out the footprints!!!!!!!!.
    Remember, you better be having fun
    Cliffleaper
    38

  11. #26
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    Re: Does anyone NOT use a FJC?

    At dropzone working (im a packer) and someone takes an interest in me, i know why. They probe with questions. Few days later "so what would be an ideal first jump? Do you know who sells gear? Would you take me on my first?"

    and then you ask em their jump numbers and they say something like 90. Its way easier to say "get a few more and look into FJC's in Idaho" as i simply dont want the responsibility.

    When its folks who i see at the DZ all the time, who i know have the canopy skills and i get that good "vibe" from them, id be more than happy to take them. The only problem is the ones i get the good vibe from are usually intelligent folks who dont push the subject and are very timid (because they are smart) about getting into a risky sport. Kinda ironic now im sitting here thinking about it.

    I did the GC thing and froze my balls off all winter for our crew, and im really happy i went that direction.

  12. #27

    Re: Does anyone NOT use a FJC?

    Hello guys..

    I installed the factory FJC lug nuts and turned the rim to make sure it was true. The size of the 17" wheel allows plenty of room to clear the caliper and plenty of room for the outer tie rod end too...

  13. #28
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    Re: Does anyone NOT use a FJC?

    first jump march 1982.
    No FJC, just climb over the rail @ greenie and go.

    cheers

    kleggo

  14. #29
    BLiNC Magazine Supporter (Silver) M8tricks's Avatar
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    Re: Does anyone NOT use a FJC?

    Standard advice is to ground crew for a while first - that means you've got a better chance of seeing stuff happen and you get some idea how serious this game is. That said, one of the most important benefits of doing GC is that you get the chance to find a good mentor. GC for a while if you're one of those who can. No matter who you are though one of the best bits of advice for a new jumper is 'get a good mentor' - if you're stuck in the middle of nowhere that can be hard. If you're one of those people that can't find a good mentor where you are (for whatever reason - maybe you're an asshole, or there just aren't people around that know what the fck they are doing) then an FJC gives you a chance to get the right advice from people that know what they're doing. I have mates that did it the old fashioned way, GC'd for a while, then jumped, then figured the rest out through good luck. Back in the days when people didn't know shit about BASE, it was the only way to learn. Now, for a few bucks, you can benefit from the knowledge of guys that have been doing it for years. In 4 days they can't teach you how to jump from every object, but what they can do is teach you how to figure out good advice from bad.
    Don't BASE, its stupid. But if you're going to, then do an FJC, at least that way you have some idea what you're getting yourself in for - BASE is fucking dangerous - why wouldn't you spend a few dollars and hear advice straight from the mouth of people who learnt it the hard way. Don't die, but if you do, do it on an object I have no interest in. I wanna keep jumping the shit that I jump and don't want you to fck it up for me.

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